Makautomatik - The Mak Travels

Brent Banasiewicz Victory Lap - Portland DEW Tour

2010-08-14T09:42:00.000-06:00

Porland, OR DEW Tour - BMX Dirt Jump Finals

Brent Banasiewicz (Bana-say-wits) already had the victory on lock after landing the first ever "cash roll" in competition. A cash roll is a 180 to backflip 180 out. This is his 3rd and final run. Watch the last hit, where he does the cash roll even bigger than he did it on his first run.

Day in the life...

2010-08-09T18:42:00.004-06:00

I love my job. We get to do the most random stuff. Today Fuel TV's Thrillbillies came by to drive "half cars" around our parking lot and film for their show. I grabbed my Flip MinoHD video camera and caught a bit of the action. Double click the video to watch on YouTube, since my blog layout cuts of the edge of videos...

I'm off to Portland later this week for another stop of the DEW Tour. Portland is another city I've always wanted to visit. It's kind of a bummer I'll still be hobbling around on my peg leg, but at least this time I'll have a car...

Summer Boom Crash

2010-08-03T22:25:00.003-06:00

I've been doing my best to make the most of my summer. The kind folks up at Fred's Marine in Layton hooked us up with a rad wakeboarding boat:

It's a Tige (Pronounced - tye-guh) RZ2 and it rocks. I've taken it out a couple of times and there isn't much like a free $75,000 wakeboarding boat to make you love your job. The wake is killer, but where this thing really shines is wake surfing, which is something I'm probably going to be doing more of...

That's my good buddy and co-worker Cort surfing it up about a week ago, behind said wakeboarding boat. The reason that this isn't a picture of me wakesurfing is because shortly before this picture was taken I was wakeboarding and I landed funny after the most massive air you've ever seen and blew out the old knee. As soon as I hit the water I felt it go "pop" and thought "Crap, there goes my ACL."

So after some X-rays and an MRI, it turns out I was right, sorta.

I guess I got lucky and didn't actually sever my ACL, rather, it detached from the bone where it connects to the tibula. After the surgeon looked at my MRI he recommended that I not get surgery (What?!? A surgeon who doesn't want to cut?) Instead I'm locked into one of these puppies for the next 4 weeks:

That's not actually a picture of me, by the way.

Apparently my intact ACL is dangling right where it needs to be when my leg is straight, so there's a chance it will reattach itself on it's own. If that indeed ends up being the case, my knee should be as good as new and I will count myself as one of the luckiest people alive, as true ACL injuries have a tendency to be at least somewhat debilitating for the rest of your life.

Apparently an injury of my particular type is extremely rare in adults. My doctor is one of the two orthopedic specialists who handle all the injured University of Utah athletes (read: she is AWESOME) and she has never seen it in anyone older than 12.

So while this brace is extremely annoying, and keeps sliding down my leg, and is AWFUL to sleep with, I'll gladly wear it if it means a good-as-new knee sans the surgery. Here's to hoping. Next check up is August 30th.

Again thanks to Fred's Marine for hooking up the Rockwell Crew with this sick boat, even if it did ruin the rest of my summer...

Chicago

2010-07-25T17:24:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Rockwell, I got to take a trip out to Chicago this weekend for the DEW Tour. I'd never been to Chicago before, but I'd heard a lot of good things, so I was excited. Unfortunately I was working most of the time, so I didn't have much of a chance to do many touristy things, but I was able to check a few things out.

Timmy G, our CFO played a pretty good trick on me. He told me public transit was the way to go in Chi-town and I totally fell for it, so he didn't rent me a car. I wish I had a picture of myself logging some serious mileage hauling my OGIO 9800 (great bag, by the way) though the city, but I was way too tired to even think of it. I had to bring a bunch of product to set up our booth, so the weight in addition to 90 deg + heat and maxed out humidity left me hammered after 3 days.

I will say this, public transit in Chicago is really good. If I were there just to hang out, I'd be all about it. But when you're toting the entire contents of a booth, you gotta have a car. Don't tell my boss, but there was no way I was hauling all that stuff back to my hotel, so I left probably close to $15,000 worth of watches completely unattended in my booth overnight. Luckily no one stole them. Unluckily there was a torrential rainstorm right after I left (which I got caught, and soaked, in) that got most of my shirts wet, ruining a few. I was, however, still able to sell them all the next day, minus the ruined ones of course.

All in all it was a great trip. My flights were interesting. I had the polar opposites in flight attendants on each trip. Heading out to Chicago I had a beautiful Australian flight attendant who came and sat next to me and chatted most of the way. She was amazing. If anyone knows the hot Aussie flight attendant that works for American Airlines and lives in Chicago, tell her to freaking call me.

On my way back I had a total doucher for a flight attendant. He got mad at me on two separate occasions and took his job way too seriously. Just because my bag isn't all the way under the seat in front of me doesn't mean I'm a threat to national security. I'm kind of tall. My legs have to go somewhere.

But all-in-all it was a fun trip. I definitely want to go back soon to just check out the city. Hopefully I'll make it back this fall, once it has cooled off a bit.

Mt. Olympus - Salt Lake City, UT

2010-07-06T21:46:00.004-06:00

Seriously, don't do this hike. It's brutal.

You sure? You really want to? This is masochism at it's best. To get here you take the 4500 South exit off of I-215 in Salt Lake and then head south on Wasatch Blvd about 1.5 miles until you see a sign that reads "Mt. Olympus Trailhead" on the east side of the street. That's where the fun begins.

Don't let the first mile or so of meandering pathways through meadows and rocky outcroppings fool you. This trail really bares it's teeth at the very end. You'll know you're about to be punished once you reach the small creek that runs at about the half-way mark of the ascent.

You'll spend the next couple of hours on a thin trail through dense foliage. The climb is steep and unrelenting. The hike boasts a 7 mile trip out and back. You'll climb over 4000 feet in just 3.75 miles. Maybe it was just because I was getting more and more tired, but it seems to get continually steeper as you climb.

If I haven't scared you off yet, I will say this. It is beautiful. Once you get far enough up to escape the dull roar of the freeway, the arid landscape gives way to a lush and dense forest. This summit is no joke either. From the top you can see the northern part of Utah Lake over Point of the Mountain, as well as the majority of the Great Salt Lake. This would be an amazing view at night, but I don't recommend setting out for a sunset summit, as the terrain to the peak is very steep and somewhat treacherous. A misstep in the dark would likely lead to a long and deadly fall. During the day you'll be fine, just exercise caution and remember to keep three points of contact while climbing.

I was in no shape to being doing something like this (I actually had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started) but I was still able to make it. It took me about 4 hours to summit and about 2.5 to descend. Unless you hike a lot and are in pretty decent shape, be prepared for a beating. When you feel like giving up and turning back, just keep going until you really think you can't go any further. By that point you should be close enough to the summit that you'll convince yourself you might as well finish.

I'm not going to lie, I spent the last part of the ascent telling myself I should turn around. While the decent was faster, it was no less punishing. I spent the entire time cursing myself for not turning back. In the end though, it was worth it. I got back to my car and was amazed that I was even able to do it. Hopefully I keep this up and I can look back at this blog in a few months and laugh at what a wuss I was, because I was seriously pushed to my limit on this hike.

Bring lots of water. I packed 2 liters in my CamelBak and ran out on the summit. The water I left in my car was no less than 100 degrees, but the 7-11 down 45th South was selling ice cold Gatorade two for $3. Delicious.

If you think you're up for it, I say go for it. At the very least you'll end up with some seriously sore legs and a healthy sense of accomplishment.

Hike to Mary's Lake

2010-06-20T20:25:00.005-06:00

I'm on a quest to experience some of Utah's grandeur. I've spend over 5 years here in this great state, but I've really only been to a few places. I found a great website cleverly called Utah.com that has a pretty good list of different hikes. I looked for something that would be decently strenuous, but not too hardcore. Also I wanted something accessible. Mary's Lake was the winner. The description on the website says the trailhead is at the back of the Brighton parking lot, marked by a marquee with trail info, but after about 30 minutes circling the area in my car and using my phone's GPS, I figured out the trailhead is actually right next to the lift ticket office. I didn't see any marquee other than the resort map.

Yeah. Pretty obvious.
I didn't expect there to be as much snow as there was. A lot of the trail was like this:

But really, most of it looked like this:

Mary's lake was the first stop on this hike, about 1.5 miles (I'm guessing) from the trailhead. The trail continues on to Martha Lake and then further on to Catherine Lake, which apparently is the best of the three. Because of the amount of snow still on the ground, I only made it as far as Mary's. I actually lost the trail on the way up and just cut my way through the trees to find the lake and ended up coming in around on the back side. It would have been hard to find my way any further up.
Here's a few photos of Mary's Lake.

Mary's is actually a reservoir for Salt Lake water, so there's a man-made dam.

I did a bit of fishing, but after an hour or so without so much as a nibble, I gave it up. I'm going to go back in a couple of months when all the snow has melted off so I can make it all the way up to Catherine's.

Mary, Margaret, and Catherine Lake Hike
Recommended time of year - Late July - September
Accessibility - Very easy
Difficulty of Hike - Pretty easy, even in the snow
Length - Reported at 4 miles out and back, but I'm not sure if that's accurate
Level of Awesomeness - Mary's lake was actually pretty cool. I'd like to see Catherine's
Money - Parking is free at Brighton, no access fees
Fishing - I really have no idea if there are even any fish in the lake...
Crowd Factor - There were quite a few people at Mary's, even with the poor trail conditions. I bet it's pretty crowded once the snow is gone. I'm not sure how many people would make it all the way to Catherine's though.

My Rating (1-10) - 7 - Great day hike, especially if you only have a few hours.

Holiday Top 5

2009-12-29T16:42:00.003-07:00

Alright, so Christmas is behind us, New Years is just around the corner. I figure it's time for a Holiday Top 5 list..

#5 - Going somewhere warm

Living in Salt Lake City is cold. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I actually love the snow, wearing jackets and beanies, and winter-time activities, but coming to San Diego for a few days and wearing shorts in December is wonderful. I'm taking a two week vacation this year.

#4 - Shopping Online

Holiday traffic, both on the roads and in the stores, freaking blows. I'm glad I jumped on the online shopping bandwagon a few years ago. No headaches, just a little planning ahead.

#3 - Drift racing

I love it when I don't have to be somewhere by a certain time and there's snow on the roads. It's the one time that my 9 year old 4Runner becomes a rice rocket. Don't be surprised to see me completely sideways on the road as I drift past Paul Walker and Vin Diesel on my way to glory.

#2 - Trust funds

Okay, so maybe I don't have one, but I kind of feel like it this week. I am doing absolutely nothing, but I'm still getting paid. This is the first time I've had a job that gives me paid time off, and I'm milking it and blowing it all while I sit around my parents house. I feel like a king.

#1 - Cookies

Christmas joy, spirit of giving, love unto your fellow man, yadda yadda yadda. That stuff is great and all, but the real spirit of Christmas is cookies. My mom just made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that would melt your face with their deliciousness.

Audiophile

2009-12-09T21:57:00.003-07:00

I recently made two resolutions.

1. Stop stealing music.
- I'm going to actually buy music rather than download it. I decided this for two reasons. One of the reasons is my 2nd resolution, the other is for honesty's sake.

2. Stop listening to downgraded music.
- Okay, so this is kinda nerdy, but once you start, you can't go back. .Mp3's are compressed versions of CD quality audio files. They basically chop a big chunk of the sound spectrum off each end and just give you the meat of the music. Most people don't notice the difference, but I do.

I've started ripping all my music in Apple Lossless format, and the sound quality really is a whole lot better, especially through a semi-decent pair of headphones. You'll hear things in songs that you've never noticed before if you do it. The music is much fuller.

The downside? File size. A full album in lossless is around 300mb.

The other downside? I didn't realize how many of my favorite albums I've never actually owned, or bands for that matter. I've never bought a single CD by Brand New, who is quite possibly my favorite band... Weird. I've got a lot of music to buy.

I just can't stop...

2009-11-30T20:37:00.003-07:00

So I have a little problem...

The other day I was perusing the local Barnes and Noble and there was the most soothing and happy music playing over the sound system. I had never heard it before, but it sounded a whole lot like Mr. Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service. I thought maybe it was a new album spawned from his genius. Seriously, everything that guy touches is gold (including his fiance).

After a little while a nice lady came over the PA and announced that we were listening to Owl City's new album "Ocean Eyes."

I had heard of these guys (or guy, I should say. It's just one dude) on the interweb, but had never listened to them. I went back to the music section to check it out. It was about $15, so being the cheapskate I am, I went over to FYE and picked it up for $9.99 (No, I didn't download it on limewire, I don't do that anymore.)

Anyway. I can't stop listening to it. It's quickly climbing the charts in my iTunes most played list... If you like happy, slightly cheezy, synth based music with vocals by a guy who sounds a lot like Ben Gibbard, you should check it out.

If you're into Metallica and like to rip the heads off of stuffed animals for fun, well, go listen to it anyway. I might calm you down a bit.

Being a kid again.

2009-11-28T13:01:00.003-07:00

So the nerd in me totally geeked out the other day when I randomly came across this:

That's right. It's the Collectors Edition LEGO Millennium Falcon. It's only about $630 on Amazon.com.
I'll be honest, I want it. The only problem is, there is no way for me to justify getting something like this. There are a lot of better ways to spend $630. Nobody is going to be impressed with my $630 collectors edition Millennium Falcon. I really just can't pull it off.

I was thinking about how lame it is that I'm not allowed to be into all the stuff I was when I was a kid when I came up with the perfect solution.

I don't have to be a kid to play with kids toys, I just have to have a kid to play with. It's genius. I can "be a good dad" and buy my kid stuff that I secretly just want to play with.

Things like:

And

So get over here baby mama, and let's do this thing.

Oh, and it had better be a boy.

BYU Ride Board

2009-11-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

In the Wilkinson Center at BYU there's a big map of the US with little boxes around the edges that you can place little cards advertising open spots in your car to different parts of the country. You can also place cards saying you're looking for a ride.

I've never used the BYU ride board before, but due to a last-minute decision last night to head home for Thanksgiving I decided to give it a shot.

All the cards for people looking for rides turned out to be a bust. Guess its kinda short notice. The only winner was a girl named Johanna looking for someone to split gas with.

Or so I thought.

Turns out we have a packed car here. Johanna's hubby is behind the wheel and I'm smashed in the back with a couple random losers.

Currently, I'm dodging dozing headbuts from Wilbur here next to me. Why the girl isn't sitting in the middle I have no idea, but if Willy puts his foot on top of mine one more time I'm going to lose it.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Clinical Time

2009-11-23T18:54:00.005-07:00

Yesterday I did my clinical hours for my EMT-b certification at the wonderful American Fork Hospital.

I spent 10 hours in the ER. It was a decent time. After 10 hours in a hospital, I've come to some conclusions.

MEDICINE IS RAD

I actually had a lot of fun, and I could see myself working in a hospital type setting. I didn't get to do a whole lot, but I saw a lot of people being helped. I like that.

SCRUBS ARE SEXY

I don't know what it is about a girl in scrubs. It's just incredibly attractive to me. Good thing I'm dating a nurse.

By the way... If you do a Google Images search for nurse, don't add a modifier such as "hot" or "sexy"... The pictures are kinda of naughty. Seriously. Don't click those links.

I LIKE BABIES

There were a couple cases involving small children. One was having trouble breathing. He was gasping and wheezing between sobs. It broke my heart. It was the only thing that affected me. I saw dying people, doctors doing stitches on big cuts, burns and lots of blood. The kid tripped me out though.

So thanks AF ER for taking good care of me and showing me a good time in your hospital.

Hunting the world's most dangerous creature...

2009-11-21T16:07:00.005-07:00

I recently found out that I passed my background investigation for the United States Border Patrol. I'm supposed to be getting an EOD (entrance on duty) date within the next 30-60 days. Here's a taste of what I'll be doing for a job.

Shaking hands with various ex-presidents of the US (while on horseback, of course)

Shooting large and expensive weapons. (And free unlimited ammo)

Driving boats and stuff.

Get a 4x4 truck, dunebuggy, or quad and unlimited gas to go drive around.

Snake wrangling (not the most dangerous creature)

I get paid to do this crap. Are you kidding me?

Ma, I got the swine.

2009-10-18T19:09:00.002-06:00

I may or may not have swine flu.

I'll spare you the vomitous details, but I got pretty sick last night. I finally was able to fall asleep around 4am, and when I woke up I actually felt pretty great, but by the time church rolled around I was feeling pretty poopy again, so I broke out after sacrament so as not to infect the entire ward.

Too bad I don't have a wife. I would have her rub my belly and make me soup. Where are you wife?

Wrong Drivethru

2009-09-29T11:43:00.000-06:00

So one day I was driving around and I decided to stop for something to eat. I pulled into the drive thru with my mind made up already. I didn't even look at the menu, I just pulled up to the crackly voice box thing and confidently ordered.

Me- "I'd like a guacamole bacon burger please."

Drive thru guy - "Well, if you want to, you can drive down the road to Carl's Jr and they can probably get one of those for you. But we actually don't serve those here."

Me- "Huh? Where am I?"

DtG- "Burger King."

Me - "Ah crap..." (Sound of car speeding away)

One of my blondest moments for sure. At least it was the drive thru so they didn't see my face.

I just went to Subway instead.

On a side note, the guacamole bacon 6 dollar burger is absolutely delicious.
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The Bar Scene

2009-09-27T00:42:00.000-06:00

Apparently its been 8 months since I updated my blog...

I've been getting in trouble so I'm posting. I'm sitting here in Park City with some good friends.

It's "glamour" night at Harry-O's, so there are girls in bikini's and furry hooker boots dancing on the bar (pictures NOT included). Not my scene. We didn't stay long.

We went down a couple doors to the No Name Saloon where instead of trance rave music they were playing Led Zeppelin. Now we're talking. That's where the picture comes from. I don't do the bar scene very often, and everytime I do I am reminded why I don't. But I'm with friends, so I'm having fun. Besides, someone's gotta drive.

Maybe I'll be a little better about updating this thing. Sorry guys.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

That just happened...

2008-12-31T00:57:00.001-07:00

I don't make this stuff up.

This is pretty funny. I wish I knew who did it...

Malibu

2008-12-18T11:37:00.003-07:00

I have been gone a very long time. I apologize. I've spent the last couple of months scouring the internet for the best videos that I could find though, and I've got two gems for you. The first is just in time for Christmas. Both have a Malibu theme. Enjoy.

This next gem just blows my mind. I think it will blow yours too.

You can thank me later for enriching your life with these videos.
I wonder if you can download "In the Bu" for Rockband...

Wishful Thinking

2008-10-19T17:38:00.003-06:00

I came across this Photoshop tutorial on doing magazine covers, so I figured I'd make one of myself since I'm very nearly famous.

I had it up for my Facebook picture for a day, but a friend in my ward said that it was silly. So I took it down.

For those of you who are wondering, the guyliner was applied in Photoshop, not in real life. I haven't taken to wearing makeup yet.

I'm a geek, I know, but I just wanted to show everyone, because strangely, I'm sort of proud of it. :)

So what's worse? Having weird obsessions with people and doing weird Photoshop things to pictures of them, or having a weird obsession with yourself and doing weird Photoshop things? I'm not sure.

This makes me feel weird.

2008-10-10T18:51:00.002-06:00

So, I write music.

Sometimes I get an idea for a song, and just so I don't forget it later, I'll open up Photobooth on my Mac and make a quick video of the song, so I can remember what it sounds like, and I can see myself playing it, in case I forget how.

I got a bit carried away here. This is pretty weird, so be warned... :)

I know I mess up a couple of times, but this was surprisingly hard to do...

Thanks for watching! I hope you're thoroughly weirded out!

I am a total NERD.

2008-09-17T18:13:00.004-06:00

I'm coming to find out I'm a total nerd.

I first got the impression that I was a nerd when I started enjoying my physics class a lot this semester. I tried to maintain my aloof coolness by saying things like: "Nah, physics is pretty cool. I could chuck a baby off of that roof, and just by timing how long it took to hit the ground, I could tell you how tall the building is."

But then I realized that talking about throwing babies off of buildings isn't really cool at all, so I stopped doing that.

I really started to worry about myself when I would totally geek out when I got a physics problem right. I think the only time I've been happier since I got 100% on my physics homework was when I baptized someone on my mission.

I was still able to justify that, however, by telling myself that I just enjoyed the sense of accomplishment, which is totally cool thing, akin to landing a new trick on a snowboard or something.

But no. I can't avoid it any longer. I'm a nerd.

The convicting piece of evidence in my case?

I just watched this entire video, and thoroughly enjoyed it...

Don't try to save me from nerd-dom. I'm a lost cause.

(You might be a nerd too. Watch the video for 1 minute. If you're not hooked, then you're not a nerd.)

I'm a stupid idiot.

2008-09-13T12:11:00.004-06:00

So I got this great idea to go camping. I was going to get some people together to go up American Fork Canyon and spend the night, but no one seemed too terribly interested.

So I decided to go by myself.

Bad idea.

I got in my trusty 4Runner and headed up the canyon, drove up past Silver Lake, and followed some narrow windy path that my car barely fit up. After about an hour and a half I found myself completely isolated, deep in the canyon. Perfect.

I wanted to try and find the stream that was showing on my map about a quarter mile east of where I figured I was, so I grabbed my pack and started hiking through the woods, but as soon as I left the clearing where I had parked my car, the woods got really thick, with a bunch of undergrowth, making it pretty difficult to navigate. I found a pretty new trail, and started following it. I'm not sure if it had been made by hunters, or if it was a game trail, either way, me deciding to follow it might have been a complete lapse in judgment...

I came across a small clearing, and decided that I didn't want to wander too far from my car after all. So I set up camp, built a fire, and made some dinner. I was sitting there eating my freeze-dried rice thinking how much I love camping.

It got dark, so I grabbed my sleeping bag and jumped in my hammock for some star gazing and deep thought. I promptly fell asleep.

I woke up probably about 30 minutes later. It was completely dark, my fire was out, and it was DEAD SILENT. This was the one thing I didn't plan on. The woods at night are SO creepy. Seriously, not a single sound.

So I was sitting there, and thoughts started creeping into my head about the boy that got eaten by a bear last year in the canyon, and skin walkers and Sasquatch. I found my self just sitting and listening for some kind of sound to warn me that death was neigh.

So at about 10:30 I made the call to head home. I got out of my hammock, broke down my tent and packed up all my stuff in the dark. My next task was trying to find my way back to my car in total darkness... I'm such an idiot.

The trail wasn't easy to find in the dark, so I just started wandering in the direction of where I figured my car was. Luckily I have an amazing sense of direction, and I was able to find it without too much trouble. I loaded everything up and headed home.

The worst part was when I got home and had to tell my roommates that I was scared of the dark, so I came home early from my own camping trip. That was embarrassing.

Return of the Prodigal Son

2008-08-31T11:18:00.003-06:00

Danny has returned to Provo.

So I got in Friday afternoon after a couple months away in DC. I thought it would be a smooth transition back into Provo life, but reality gave me a harsh slap across the face. My friend Meredeth was in town too, and unfamiliar with the Provo scene, so we took a trip over the Sev. across the street to experience some Provo nightlife.

We were both shocked. The following is a representation of what we saw.

Boys with beards.

Some Cutoffs on guys.

Indie Kids with questionable fashion sense

And some "Mormon" girls with questionable values.

Provo is an interesting place to live, but it's where I call home, and I love it. Meredeth didn't really know what to do about the overload of amazingness that we found at the 7-11, but that's why you've got to love it here. Where else can you find such diversity in one convenience store? Raj saw us laughing at everyone, and he started laughing too and said that he loves his job because he gets a new show every five minutes. I like that guy.

Oh, I almost forgot...

The new freshman girls that look 10 years old and are trying WAY to hard to be cute and impress freshman boys. We saw some of them too...

Border Patrol

2008-08-06T21:01:00.004-06:00

My Parents think I should get a job on the Border Patrol. I'm just curious if anyone can see me working in law enforcement...?

Let's take a second and weigh my options...

Border Patrol Vs. Rockstar

RS - Play my guitar and sing songs for a living
BP - Catch Mexicans and Terrorists for a living
RS - Low probability of actually "making it"
BP - Could have a job in as little as 3 months
RS - Have to live wherever the band is
BP - Have to live where I am working
RS - Sleep on a tour bus
BP - Sleep in my own bed
RS - Might make millions, might make nothing
BP - Decent steady income
RS - Gone on tour for extended periods of time
BP - Home for dinner
RS - Wield an "axe" aka guitar
BP - Wield a Glock and/or 12 Gauge
RS - Wear sweet outfits and costumes to work
BP - Wear that lame green uniform to work
RS - Thick gnarly beards are acceptable in my line of work
BP - Thick gnarly mustaches are acceptable in my line of work
RS - Long hair is smiled upon
BP - Long hair is frowned upon, unless you're under cover
RS - Bullet proof vests are just stage costumes
BP - Bullet proof vests are standard issue
RS - Everyone knows who you are, and loves you
BP - Juan, Ernesto, and Panfilo know who you are, and hate you

Those are just a few things I could think of, feel free to add more. And please, give me your opinion on which I should choose.

All jokes aside though, the Border Patrol could be a pretty cool job. You basically go take quads and 4x4's around and snag Mexicans trying to sneak across the border. It's not dangerous like being a police officer.

On the other side of the coin, however; everyone wants to be a Rockstar...

Tales of Rejection

2008-07-28T15:04:00.000-06:00

So, for those of you not keeping tabs on me right now, I'm in Washington DC for a couple months doing the summer security sales thing.
Rejection on the doors is a daily thing, and typically it's the same answers you get from everyone. You get pretty good at diverting away from peoples objections and getting them to listen to you, but every now and then you come across a situation that leaves you basically dumbfounded.
So I was knocking a bit ago and I saw an open door behind a screen, a tell-tale sign that someone is home, so I gave 'er a knock.
This old man came out and I started doing my introduction, but instead of listening to me he just walked right up to me and grabbed the name badge that I wear around my neck and held it about 6 inches from his face. He hadn't said a word, and I just stopped talking because he was uncomfortably close...
After inspecting my badge for about 5 seconds, he turned around to walk back in the house. I wasn't going to let him get away that easily, so I started talking to him again, but he just held up a finger and said "I'm deaf" in that cliche deaf voice and walked back into the house. I wondered how he heard me knocking...
A few seconds later a decently good looking younger woman came out so I started talking to her, but no sooner had I started than she began to sign like crazy to me.
I stopped talking again, silently cursing myself for not learning ASL like I've been meaning to for the past couple of years and considering that there was a 50/50 shot that this girl was faking. I tried asking her if there was anyone who wasn't deaf in the house, but she just started gesturing for me to write it down. At this point I was losing hope, so I just decided to wing my pitch. I wrote on that back of a prequalification slip: "I'm doing some advertising for Honeywell home security systems and paying for 3 in your neighborhood today."
You can see her reply in the photo above. I normally wouldn't let her get off that easily, but I've never been rejected in writing before...

As a side note, the house may or may not have been a mosquito farm. All I know is that my legs got absolutely mutilated while standing there. It was bad news.
-Daniel Wilson
megadanny@gmail.com
(email sent via blackberry)

Sometimes Dreaming Really Sucks.

2008-06-05T10:26:00.003-06:00

I'm usually all about dreaming. I think it's great. You get to do random things, and it all seems real. Sometimes you do bad things, and then you don't even have to feel bad about stealing that lady's car or punching that guy, because you didn't actually do it.

But sometimes dreaming freaking blows. Like last night. I didn't have the best of days yesterday. I was all stressed out and having a bunch of anxiety, which for me is extremely rare, so you know it was a bad day... Anyway, I kinda was just over it all, so I decided to go to bed and just start over the next day. Sounded like a great idea.

I got all settled in and next thing I knew, I was driving along in the back seat of some dudes car going to church. Everything seemed alright, but apparently the guy (an older man) was a diabetic and he forgot to give himself insulin and passed out while driving. So, all of the sudden the car hangs a louie and we jump over the center divider into oncoming traffic. Amazingly, my friend riding shotgun (I can't remember who it was...) didn't even notice what was going on, so I had to jump from the back seat and grab the wheel. We start careening through oncoming traffic until I can get us to safety. Meanwhile this guy comes to, pulls out a syringe and starts administering himself insulin while this is going on...

I was able to safely bring the car to a halt on the side of the road, and we were all OK. I thought this was the end of my problems, but I was wrong.

Where we finally pulled over, there were a group of cars parked and a bunch of people standing around. I had to get out of the car after all the near-death stress, so I got out to see what was going on. We were parked just a bit off the foot of a big mountain. So after a couple of moments there, I heard a huge crack and I looked up at the mountain to see the beginnings of an avalanche. I thought that it was pretty cool looking until I realized it was a HUGE avalanche and it was headed right toward us. So we all started running away and this huge sea of snow came pouring down the mountain and across the road toward us. I'm a really fast runner, so I was able to get safely up a small hill and out of the reach of the rushing snow. Some of the people I was with weren't so lucky...

The fortunate thing about it all was that I happened to have a shovel with me (???). So I started searching in the drift and digging people out as I found them.

I was able to pull everyone out of the avalanche, so I guess that makes me a hero or something, but all I really wanted to do was sleep. Sleeping was more stressful than being awake.

Just to explain the picture, the subtitle to it should read "Bad dream honey?" because the dreams are so real sometimes that it takes you a second to figure out it was just a dream when you wake up...

I think I'm going to take drugs tonight so that this doesn't happen again...

Dang you, Rachel.

2008-05-26T13:02:00.005-06:00

Rachel Sharp tagged me in this musical ABC's thing... I guess you pick a band or a song for each letter of the alphabet...We'll see how it goes.

A. Anberlin - "Godspeed" and "Adelaide", these songs actually really rock. I've been grooving to them for a bit now..
B. Brand New - Perhaps my favorite studio band. Live performances I've seen have left a lot to be desired, not that they don't sound great, they just don't really entertain... but their studio work is simply amazing.
C. Circa Survive - I just met Anthony Green last week, and he seriously is the nicest guy ever, not to mention an amazing vocalist...
D. Dashboard Confessional - Chris Carraba... I'm not sure which I like better, listening to his music, or playing his songs on my guitar and screaming at the top of my lungs when no one is home. His music is seriously some of the most fun to play of any band...
E. Elton John - Call me what you will, I LOVE Elton John. "Your Song" is one of my favorites....
F. Foo Fighters - Duh.... I freaking love Dave Grohl. I can't get enough. Their DVD "Skin and Bones" is great. Get it. Watch it. Love it.
G. Greenday - AMAZING live. Seriously, one of the most solid and talented live performance acts ever. Whether you like their music or not, you have to hand them that.
H. Hells Bells - AC/DC - Do I really even need to say anything?
I. Imogen Heap - Once again, you might question my sexuality on this one, but she is awesome. "Hide and Seek" changed my life.
J. Journey - Because I won't stop believin'
K. The Killers - "Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll" - One of the best songs ever, and my personal Killers fav.
L. Lagwagon - Joey Cape is a genius, and everything he touches is gold.
M. Millencolin - Just another high school punk rock fav.
N. No Use For A Name - Have you heard their new album???
O. Operation Ivy - I never realized that these old school punk bands only used the middle of the alphabet to start their names...
P. "Punk In Drublic" - NOFX - arguably their best album, the one that got me started anyway.
Q. Queen - I mean really? Is there any other answer? Forever one of my favorite bands.
R. The Rolling Stones - I had to throw in some classic rock... I mean, I did give Led Zeppelin the shaft on "L" anyway...
S. Saves the Day - I was never a huge fan until their latest album "Under the Boards" - amazing.
T. Taking Back Sunday - Just thought I'd give a shoutout to good old fashioned Pop Punk.
U. Unwritten Law - So good on CD. So good live.
V. Vitamin C - We talked all night about the rest of our lives, where we gonna be when we turn 25? Holy crap. I'm 25... Where am I?
W. "War of the Worlds" - the 3rd Bad Astronaut album. Maybe not as good as "Houston, We Have a Drinking Problem," but still, It's Joey Cape. You can't go wrong.
X. The Xylophone that they play in the first All-American Rejects on the song "My Paper Heart." That was my idea, but they beat me to it...
Y. Yanni - His smooth piano stylings were forever ruined by a girl who played Yanni for me on the piano, and then broke my heart. I don't really want to talk about it...
Z. Led Zeppelin - Does that work? C'mon Z is tough, and I thought I'd make up for not giving what is quite possibly one of the greatest bands of all time their spot on L. Cut me some slack.

I guess I'll tag Heather, because she is the only person that I know reads my blog...

I take myself much to seriously.

2008-05-20T09:48:00.005-06:00

So, I came to this conclusion a while ago while playing my guitar for a friend. It was just me and her, but geeze, I was really into it.

Seriously though... Look at this picture that another friend took of me while playing my guitar...

Way too serious...

As item of evidence #2, lets take a look at my blog here....
Hmm... the top banner is okay, I'm not sure what makautomatik even means... (actually, I do... but it's a secret) but wait.. What's this? Look at my picture on the right side... Who am I kidding? So sexy and mysterious? LAME.

And what about the caption underneath? 200 degrees? Okay, okay, cut me some slack there, I'm quoting the late great Freddy Mercury...

The best thing about all of this, is I'm not that serious of a person. I'm actually kind of a jack off. I mean, yeah I take work and music seriously, but in general? I can think of maybe four people I've had serious conversations with in the last 6 months... 2 of them were my parents, 1 was my bishop, and the other, well, you know who you are.

So if I happen to be playing my guitar for you, channeling all the angst and emotion a 25 year old guy can in your living room, don't be afraid to tell me that I'm taking myself too seriously. Because seriously, it's becoming a problem. Seriously.

Where did spring go?

2008-05-19T08:11:00.004-06:00

Did anyone notice that spring pulled a no show this year?

One day it's freaking freezing....

Then the next its really hot...

I heard somewhere that we should expect flooding because the snowpack hasn't had time to slowly melt away like usual...

That should be fun...

I wish I had something neat to post about...

2008-05-18T22:00:00.003-06:00

Um.... So I realize that I haven't posted in over a month now... but what do I even tell you about?

I played paparazzi the other day when David Archuleta from American Idol was in town. I haven't even watched a single episode this season, but I've seen a couple clips of him, and he is pretty amazing...

I took these pictures...

Having an extremely huge camera is pretty neat, because you are automatically official. All you have to do is hold your camera in front of you and act like you're doing something important and no one stops you. Like for these pictures... I just jumped over the rope and walked past all the security guards right up to David to get these shots. It's pretty funny.

You're probably wondering why I was at the Gateway Mall at 11 in the morning to see David A... Well, I was going to the Jazz game later that evening and my buddy Dane and I had to go pick up our tickets.. So we made it a David A day while we were at it. See a better account of our activities on Dane's blog.

April Fooled on the 3rd.

2008-04-03T10:28:00.003-06:00

Check out this article... It looks pretty legit...

Snoop Dog Converts to Mormonism

The Show!

2008-04-01T09:41:00.005-06:00

Just a few pictures from the show Saturday night.

You're so mad right now if you missed this show!!!

Rad

2008-03-25T11:45:00.000-06:00

No explanation needed. If you have not seen this movie, go do so, now.

Thanks Friends!

2008-03-19T12:26:00.002-06:00

Even though the above image is completely sarcastic, I just want to sincerely thank all my friends for everything they do for me. You know who you are.
Loves.

Running Man

2008-03-18T13:04:00.000-06:00

So there's this band from Harrogate, England that makes dance/electronica music called Utah Saints. I just watched this video two times in a row... I don't know what that says about me...

If anything, I think this sheds some light on why MC Hammer blew up, and them pretty much disappeared...

Awareness Test

2008-03-13T17:30:00.002-06:00

This is awesome. Totally legit. Make sure you go back and watch it a second time...

I wonder if that happens a lot....

I Believe

2008-03-12T12:35:00.002-06:00

I do. I believe.

Calling In Sick

2008-03-11T13:21:00.002-06:00

So, calling in sick when you just want a day off is a pretty old trick, but it still seems to work, if you're not an idiot.

Pretty much people make the same mistakes that get them caught when they call in sick.

-Don't make a fake sick voice - I mean really, c'mon. We know you're faking, no one really sounds like that.

-Call at the right time - Calling the night before is a bad idea, you're going to wait until you're sure you are still sick the next day. Calling right before you're supposed to arrive is a bad idea too. You know well in advance that you don't feel well. Calling right before is like saying, "Hey, I don't want to work today, and I just decided that, so I'm, uh, sick...."

-If you're really looking to sell the thing, try faking some symptoms the day before - Don't be overt, but if you can get the idea into the bosses head that you're coming down with something, he/she will connect the dots the next day when you make the call.

-Don't have any evidence of any activities other than bed resting and movie watching - going to the pool or beach is a bad idea when you call in sick. When you show up to work the next looking like that kid in the picture above, your cover is blown.

Tips For A Sucessful Power Nap

2008-03-07T21:38:00.002-07:00

I thought I'd take a second to impart some of my wisdom that I have gained over the years of power napping.

The power nap is a very useful tool, but used improperly can lead to serious consequences, such as insomnia, tardiness, and a generally dishevelled look.

Here are some tricks to keep the power nap just that, and not falling asleep at 3pm and waking after dark.

-Sleep on the floor. The floor isn't very comfortable, and you typically can't sleep more than 20-40 minutes there. That's a perfect power nap.

-Sleep with your shoes on. This is particularly useful for that 8pm power nap, where without caution you wake up at 1am and you're totally screwed. Leave the light on, leave your shoes on and put a blanket over your head, and you'll wake up in under an hour. Works every time.

I hope you find these tips useful. Sleep Sluts will find this particularly useful.

Now go enjoy that nap!

Crazy Dreams

2008-01-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

So this morning I was paddling out to the lineup on Utah Lake because there was a solid eight foot wind swell coming in on the east shore. I was hoping to get a few early waves before it got to crowded, but I was too late. There was a pack of surfing chocolate brown labradors taking all the waves and hot-dogging it out there. I didn't stay out long though. There was a crazy southern current pulling me down towards Payson, and I didn't want a long walk back...

So I got out and started walking through some sort of expo that they were having right there on the beach. I walked through a couple of tents with really hot asian girls giving massages, but I didn't stop. That always seemed rather sketchy to me. Then I went through an optometry tent where a lot of people were getting eye exams, and then moving to another tent to get laser eye surgery. I didn't stop there either. My eyes are pretty good.

After that I was going down this little walkway, when I saw this dude that I recognized, but I couldn't remember where I knew him from. I asked him, and he asked me if I was from Carlsbad. I told him I was and he said he knew me from church there. It wasn't until later that I realized that it was in fact Mr. Boston from the first season of VH1's I Love New York.

Dreams are crazy.
-Daniel Wilson
megadanny@gmail.com
(email sent via blackberry)

You only live once

2008-01-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm getting back on my diet again because I would like to finally meet my abs. I've been good friends with my gut for a while, but I think its time to make a new friend.

I'm not very good at the whole eating right thing though. Last night I found a big juicy burger staring me in the face. I was trying to decide what to do about it when the popular phrase "you only live once" came to mind. I immediately began to eat the burger. After a moment, however, I paused to consider the implications of that phrase.

Typically, you say it just before doing something crazy, but that really doesn't make much sense. It would be more sensible to use the phrase to dissuade someone from doing something stupid.

"Hey, don't do that! You only live once, you idiot!"

Maybe if we lived more than once, we could use a similar phrase to inspire courage. I bet when cats are about to do something insane, they say to each other, "Do it you pansy, you live nine times."
-Daniel Wilson
megadanny@gmail.com
(email sent via blackberry)

Oops

2008-01-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

I forgot to attach the pictures for the post below.
-Daniel Wilson
megadanny@gmail.com
(email sent via blackberry)

The New Year

2008-01-03T11:11:00.001-07:00

I'm back in Utah after a wonderful couple of weeks in California, and it is cold here. Really cold. You kind of forget after you've been walking around outside barefoot. I'm not complaining though, I love it here.

I went to mexico with my friend Jeff and went to a really great wax museum in TJ. Highlights included the Mexican Revolutionaries, like Pancho Villa and Miguel Hidalgo. Also present were Jack The Ripper, Micheal Jackson, The King - Elvis Presly, Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and of course ex-president Bill Clinton. Best $1.50 I've spent in a long time.

I had a wonderful New Years Eve in Newport. That's all I'm saying. :)

New Years Day I drove back to Utah, and it was crazy windy. Right where the 15 meets the north end of the 215 it was slightly out of control. The wind was so strong that it blew over 4 semi trucks. Blew them right off the road on to their sides. It was wild.

Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful drive.

This is kind of a boring blog post huh? Sorry about that.

-Daniel Wilson
megadanny@gmail.com
(email sent via blackberry)

Christmas Mishaps

2007-12-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

I've been skateboarding for about 10 years now. I feel like it's pretty safe to say that I've got a pretty solid understanding of how durable a skateboard should be.

Today's life lesson: Toy store skateboards should not be compared to real skateboards.

My cousin got this sweet mongoose skateboard from wal-mart or somewhere like that. He pulled it out of the package and left it lying on the floor. I decided I would impress everyone with my skills and jumped on it to do a nose manual.

I've broken my fair share of skateboards, but never this quickly. Even in my heyday of skating daily, a skate would last at least a week, but typically about a month. This one didn't even pretend to last. As soon as I jumped on it, it cracked right behind the front truck.

It was a pretty satisfying crack, but it was in front of my entire extended family (about 30 people) and I felt like an idiot.

Danny Wilson, destroyer of Christmas joy.

-Daniel Wilson
megadanny@gmail.com
(email sent via blackberry)

I'm growing slightly obsessed with blogs.

2007-12-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

Blogs are taking over my life...

I've recently discovered the merits of multiple-author blogs, so I started one for the band...

If anyone wants to follow the antics of our band, then you can do it there... Isaac, Jet, and myself will be posting there, hopefully fairly regularly. Joe however still uses stone tablets and chisels to write, so he might not venture into the realm of blog-authordom, but that's okay, he's really good at the drums, and can make sushi, so we still love him.

Thanks to you if you read it.

Public Transit Sucks

2007-11-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my terminal to board my flight to San Diego and I can finally breathe easy. I decided to have an adventure today and use public transportation to get to the airport. I am not a fan of UTA.

I had never used public transportation in the US before, and it was a wild ride. After missing my connecting bus to salt lake (I may have been late, but I really think the bus never came) I was stressing because I didn't want to miss my flight, as it would have been very difficult to find another one the day before thanksgiving.

I was fairly certain that spending that much time on a bus meant that I would have some type of venerial disease by the time I got off. No weird rashes or anything yet, but my stomach feels kinda funny.

Let's take a second and talk about the people that ride busses. I really hope I don't come off as a jerk or a snob, but seriously, everyone on the bus and train today had those wide eyes, buck teeth, and that permanant half-smile/blank-stare thing going on. I'm actually really glad public transportation exists though, because I wouldn't ever be on the road if I knew they were going to be behind the wheel.

Okay, that was mean. I'm going to hell I know. But seriously, I had a seeing eye dog come lay on my foot on the bus. No joke.

So, part of this experiment/adventure was to make it to the airport on as little cash as possible. A round trip by car costs about $12, so I figured the $1.60 for bus fare was pretty good. I didn't really take into account the intrinsic costs of riding a bus. Filth, disease, seeing-eye dogs and the 3+ hours of travel time may not have a dollar amount attached to them, but they definately cost something. Then, to top it off, I couldn't find where I was supposed to catch the bus to the airport after I got off TRAX, so I ended up having to call a cab anyway. That cost me $18, so if we add in the $1.60 for the bus and, oh, say $25 worth of hassle, we're looking at a $45 trip to the airport.

Still, it was really fun. I got hit on by some crazy 20-something year-old on TRAX.

Worth every penny.

-Daniel Wilson

( sent via blackberry)

A Holiday.

2007-11-21T01:08:00.000-07:00

Whoa! Where did I go? I've been sooooo busy, and because of it just have so much news, I'll have to get back on the proverbial horse and get rolling with my blog again. Sorry, all three of you that might read this.

I'm gonna be famous. I'll tell you why later.

Love love,
Danny

Blowing my mind, Phil Collins style.

2007-09-20T16:17:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you just come across something so good, that it deserves to be seen by everyone. Please enjoy this as much as I have been lately.

Tell me that wasn't the coolest thing you've ever seen.

Photoblog

2007-09-16T22:51:00.000-06:00

HEAR! HEAR!
This just in from the fingers of the legendary Daniel Wilson, sole proprietor of Daniel Wilson Creative!

"Ahem..."
"I have started a photoblog to document my latest happenings as a photographer,"said Daniel Wilson. "If you have any interest whatsoever of the pictures I take, well then, subscribe to my photoblog and ye shall see my work as it unfolds and develops!"
The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers at the break of this good news. More than one conversation in the crowd went as follows:
"He's quite amazing, that Daniel," said one man to another. The other's response? "Yes, quite amazing indeed!"
Daniel went on to say, "You can find the link below, or in the list of links at the top right of the page. Thank you, my loyal citizens, for your interest and cooperation!"
Women Swooned, men applauded. Everyone was quite jovial indeed.

Okay sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes. But seriously, here's the link.
http://watchdaniel.blogspot.com
Yay for blogs!

Flashing people, more fun than I imagined.

2007-09-10T13:18:00.000-06:00

I've got a new toy, and it's proved more useful and fun than I ever imagined that it would.

Off camera flash, what everyone else is missing.

So I got a second flash (the wallet said, "Ouch!"), a lightstand, and an umbrella. I had it rush shipped (another "Ouch!"), UPS 2-Day air. It was a good thing I did. The day it came I had some Bridal shots scheduled for that evening.

Originally the plan was to meet at 6pm. She pushed it back to 7, and then didn't end up showing up until just before 8. Translation, the sun had gone to sleep and all workable light was gone. I was mad for a couple reasons:

I had just sat and waited for over an hour and, as Billy Crystal said, "Mime is Money." (tell me what movie that is from, and I'll think you're pretty cool)
I don't like doing crappy work, and no good light makes it hard not to.

So with a scowl on my face and anger in my chest we embarked on our photo excursion. It actually turned out to be a lot of fun though, and an interesting experience to boot. I still think I would have gotten much better photos if we had started 2 hours earlier, but you've got to make the most of what you have. And besides, had we shot earlier, I never would have gotten a shot like the beauty you're about to see.

This one looks like a movie still to me, and I think it's my favorite picture
of the shoot, even though it's unusable as a bridal picture. It still blows
my mind.

I haven't really gone through the pictures in detail yet, but I think I got some decent ones that will work. The whole off camera flash was a new experiment this night, but I think that for my first time I did alright. Here's a couple more from the shoot.

Stood Up

2007-09-08T21:15:00.000-06:00

So. Do you remember the part in Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd is in the bar waiting for Mary to show up? He gets there at 10:30am and waits for 3 hours or so, but she never shows? Yeah, that happened to me today, but I'll tell you what, I handled it in a completely different manner...

I had this date tonight with this girl. I work with her sister, and she introduced us. She's way cute, seems way fun and it looked like it was going to be a good evening.

I had to work the lunch shift today, so I gave her a call at about 5 when I got off to confirm our 7 o'clock date. No answer. A text message was sent at 6 in hopes of making some form of contact. No answer. 6:30 rolls around and I'm coming to the realization that I'm getting stood up.

Here's where I chose a different path than Lloyd. He waited. I grabbed my golf clubs and went to squeeze in a few holes before dark. I showed up at the club house and asked if I could still get on. As though she could sense my pain, the girl told me to "just go ahead" (i.e. play for free). A simple deed with wonderful results. I parred my first two holes. Bogeyed the 3rd. And on the 4th, a 150yd par 3, I got my first ever birdie. I went on to par the 5th and 6th holes before it got too dark to play. Even, after six holes. I have never played so well in the 2 months that I've been playing golf. I can't tell you how good I feel.

Which leads me to the next part...

"The Shortest Fairytale Ever Told."
Once upon a time there was a young man who was in love with a girl. One day the young man asked the girl to marry him. She said no. So he played golf for the rest of his life and lived happily ever after.

I sure am happy I picked up this game.

Fore? Four? Look Out!!!

2007-08-30T14:35:00.000-06:00

Sooo.... I have a new addiction. It's a little game called golf. I have wanted to get into it for a few years now, but hadn't really had the chance... But last month I got my hands on a set of clubs, thanks to my Grandpa, a long time golfer (and at one point, a 7 handicap) and I've been playing a little here and there. As of today however, I'm officially hooked. I went out this morning to Cedar Hills Golf Club in American Fork, Utah and played the front 9. Up until today, I have had a super tough time with my driver. I have had a wicked slice... No, I'm not kidding, this thing would curve so hard to the right, that the ball would end up 100 yards from where I was aiming... Needless to say, I was losing a lot of balls... But a couple days ago, someone told me to change my grip on the club. It was a slight change, but it made all the difference. I was just drilling the ball today like you wouldn't believe. I found the sweet spot with my 3 wood, and I was out-driving my buddy, who was using his driver, and I was hitting it straight as an arrow. It felt sooooooo good. Well, after nine I finished with a 50, because my iron game was off today. But still... that's not bad for my 5th round of golf ever. I'm really happy right now, and I'm hooked. Goodbye extra money... Not that I ever had any anyway.

P.S. The title of this post is just a joke. I haven't hit anyone yet. I did almost hit the cart girl on the second hole today though. It was a close one.

A Scalpel, A Wii-mote, And A Steady Hand.

2007-08-21T01:10:00.001-06:00

For those of you who know me. I've spent the last year or so with a borderline obsession with the TV show "Grey's Anatomy". This fixation has even led to serious thought about going to medical school to become a surgeon. While this is still an path that I am considering, I have found a way to appease my need to cut and suture people around me. Trauma Center "Second Opinion" lets me be the surgeon I don't want to wait 7 years to be right now. I performed some complicated procedures tonight, from saving a young girl from imminent death because she was bleeding out from several large aneurysms, to multiple abscesses of benign tumors threatening to become malignant. There were a few close calls, but my patients are all healing nicely now, and I couldn't be happier.

Home Is Where You Park It.

2007-08-19T14:14:00.000-06:00

So, Tuesday is when I'm supposed to be out of my Apartment. Only, I haven't found a place to live yet, and I refuse to go to the GlenHOOD and live with five 19 year old guys, so I've considered buying an RV to make my residence in.

I found this gem for a measly $4000

That's less than an years worth of rent. Sounds like a steal to me. I could totally see myself living in this sweet sunset striped jewel.

Home is where you park it.

A Photographer Without Film

2007-08-19T13:29:00.000-06:00

I just shot my 2nd solo wedding on Friday. It's an interesting experience because I learn somthing new every time.

New Lessons:

Don't forget to bring your memory cards
Salt Lake Traffic is like LA Traffic sometimes

So, I totally left my memory cards at home, and being that I was shooting at the Salt Lake Temple, I couldn't run home and grab them. I was able to get by with my one memory card at the temple and then I stopped at Target on the way to the reception and picked up a 2Gb card for the reception. It cut into my profit margin a bit...

As for the traffic. Yeah, I was an hour late to the reception. It should have taken me half an hour to get there, so I left half an hour before. I lost a lot of hair in that hour and a half.

All in all it went well though.

Here is one unprocessed Pic I took.

Once I get the pictures in Photoshop and touch them up a bit, I'll post more.

New Dashboard Confessional Album - Carrabba returns to roots.

2007-08-16T21:50:00.000-06:00

I just read this post from Dashboard Confessional's myspace page:

" This fall, critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba will return to his roots with the release of The Shade of Poison Trees, Dashboard Confessional’s fifth album for longtime label Vagrant Records. The album marks a notable return to the signature acoustic sound that Carrabba first developed on early Dashboard Confessional albums like 2000’s The Swiss Army Romance and 2001’s The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most.

Recorded over 10 days in Florida with renowned producer Don Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Linkin Park), The Shade of Poison Trees is filled with the kind of earnest acoustic laments and smart, poetic lyrics that long ago turned Carrabba into a feverishly adored artist. While he continues to evolve as a songwriter throughout, the album is a significant return to the Dashboard of old, as well as a tip of the hat to fans that have spent the past nine years by his side.

When asked why he revisited his earlier stylings he responded, “I never really left.”

Over the past year, Dusk and Summer has received universal acclaim from such publications as Rolling Stone, Blender, Spin and the LA Times. And now, Dashboard has returned with The Shade of Poison Trees, an album that is sure to reconnect with the band’s longtime fans and further proving that Carrabba has become one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. Without question, The Shade of Poison Trees is Dashboard’s most personal album yet, and, to that end, Carrabba is set this fall to embark on a North American solo tour – his first in over five years."

I'm actually really really happy about this. Dashboard's best album by far is the Swiss Army Romance, along with Places You've Come to Fear the Most, and if what it says at the end of this post is true, or at least if I understand it correctly, Chris Carrabba will be returning to his former small club atmosphere and playing more intimate shows, with just a mic and a guitar. I'll gladly spike my hair, put on my wristbands, and scream louder than the 14 year old girls I'll be surrounded by to go see Dashboard as the band deserves to be seen, and how it should be seen.

Large venues and an electric guitar are the antithesis of such a band.
I'm glad Chris is figuring that out.

I'm so glad that this has taken me so long. It's the Journey that has made me so Strong.

2007-07-27T22:14:00.000-06:00

I've been gone. I apologize.

I sit all alone in my room in the wake of another failed relationship. It's Friday night, 10:16pm on the 26th of July, 2007, and I don't understand. This picture is my best attempt to visually express my feelings. It's a discouraging feeling to have given everything you can give, and yet, come up short.

My life the last couple of years has been, well, rather unimpressive. There hasn't been much to tell, just the aimless wanderings of a 20 something year old searching for direction in his life. Then suddenly everything came together. The job that gave me everything I wanted. The girl that was both exactly what I needed and wanted, and who seemingly was excited to be along for the ride. But fear is a cruel mistress. Despite all good reason, it didn't work. I am searching for understanding, but it just won't come. Maybe someone can explain.

The need for that "spark" is important, undoubtedly it's what makes it all exciting, but to let fear extinguish the flame? The spark fades, the flame endures. How can I be that I'm the perfect guy, what every girl dreams of, someone without an undesirable quality (words from her own mouth), and someone that she wants so badly to be with, and it still not work? She says there's something missing. What more do you need?

There is nothing I can do. I have two options. Hang on to hope or cut my losses.
I want to hope, experience tells me to go.

Someday I will say,
I'm glad that this has taken me so long. It's the Journey that has made me so STRONG.

INSPIRATION

Failed in business in 1831.
Defeated for Legislature in 1832.
Second failure in business in 1833.
Suffered nervous breakdown in 1836.
Defeated for Speaker in 1838.
Defeated for Elector in 1840.
Defeated for Congress in 1843.
Defeated for Congress in 1848.
Defeated for Senate in 1855.
Defeated for Vice President in 1856.
Defeated for Senate in 1858.
Elected President in 1860.

Thanks Abe.

In Baja with Kaiizen

2006-12-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Baja California, Mexico

So this past weekend took me to Baja California, just north of Ensenada, to a little fishing village called El Sauzal. I went with the nonprofit organization Kaiizen (www.kaiizen.org) to do a little service in orphanages in Mexico. Well, my job for the weekend was to take pictures, I was the offical trip photographer. I had a blast. The things Kaiizen is doing is amazing, especially since this is a group run by a bunch of 20-something year olds. This trip had about 150 people on it, the biggest yet in Kaiizen history, and it went off without a hitch. I was somewhat skeptical of the organization of a group this big, I predicted chaos, but it went very well. I was very impressed.
A number of activities were performed this weekend, including painting of a nearby school, decorating of the orphanage for the christmas season, blankets and food being handed out to the nearby community, but probably the best thing we did was to bring christmas to the orphans. We were able to bring down a few gifts for each of the kids and Santa showed up for the whole deal. It really was quite an experience to watch the whole thing. We were all touched to watch these children light up.
Being of service to those who are less fortunate definately was the focus this trip, and the most rewarding part for sure, but we also had time to enjoy ourselves down here in beautiful Baja California. The wonderful weather here was a nice break from the cold. We spent time on the beach, and in nearby Ensenada. The best part of this whole trip however was the amazing people that came to participate. The calliber of people that Kaiizen draws is astounding. I met some very amazing people this last weekend, and I'm sad I only got to spend 2-3 days with them. Honestly, I miss the group we had down there. I enjoyed myself so much. These trips are great, and I encourage everyone to come along. If you're interested you can check out this and other programs Kaiizen has at www.kaiizen.org or send an email to baja@kaiizen.org and ask to be added to the Baja Project mailing list. The next trip is in February with dates TBA, it's probably over presidents day weekend. I hope to see you there!

The First Snow

2006-11-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Provo, Utah

I happen to love the snow. I was stoked this morning to find a fresh layer of snow covering Provo. It had started snowing last night, so I knew it would be coming, but it's still fun anyway. Sometimes you have no idea its going to snow and you find six inches in the morning, thats my favorite... It just snowed a couple of inches last night but it's still fun. It snowed 17" in the last 24 hours in Park City, and that makes me happiest. It should keep snowing for the next few days.

This morning I had an opportunity to get my good deed done early. One of my friends couldn't get her car door open, so I went to help her and as I guessed, it was frozen shut. Just a bit of lever action with a screwdriver popped it open and she was on her way, after I scraped all the snow off her windows for her. I bring this up not as self glory, but rather as a seguey into my main point today: Karma. I'm becomming a firm believer in Karma. Last night I was working, and I had this table of four young girls, who I pretty much hooked up, yet they stiffed me on the tip. One of the girls paid with a credit card and it would have been easy to alter her receipt to add the tip that I should have gotten, and I was severely tempted to do so, but I thought the better of it and decided to be the honest little boy that I usually am. The night ended up not being very lucrative for me, and I was a bit saddend by it. I was cleaning up my section and sweeping under one of my booths when I heard some paper rustling as I swept. I figured it was a kid's menu or something and as I looked under the table I found fifteen dollars in cash. Karma. Don't steal five and find fifteen. So now I'm on a quest to up the Karma in my life. If you need good deeds done, call me.

Here's just a random picture I took as I was walking to class this morning. I love the snow.

California to Park City

2006-11-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

From California to Park City, Utah

Yesterday was thanksgiving. Usually we spend the day with my extended family, I had to get some stuff done at home before I could head out there so my parents left before me. I got there late and everyone was just finishing up at the dinner table so I sat down and ate a quick meal. Not long after my Dad was going to go pick some stuff up at the fire station where he works since he hasn't been there since he got hurt. I decided to go with him just to check it out. While we were there they got a run and my dad told me to go with them to check it out, so I jumped on the fire truck and went to see an old asian lady that had fallen in the bathroom and had to be taken to the hospital. It was interesting to see what my dad does for a job. By the time we got back to my grandparent's house everyone was leaving or already gone. I had decided to just take off up to Utah from there to get a jump on the trip. So I left at about 6:30 and headed to Mesquite, NV, where I stopped to sleep I ended up sleeping a bit longer than planned and I didn't get back on the road until almost 7am. But I got to my apartment, grabbed my gear and then jumped right back in my car and drove up to park city. I spent the day snowboarding. It was nice to be back on the hill, thought I sorta forgot about the post-shred soreness, but I'll live. I took a couple hearty spills and I have a killer raspberry on my hip, but it's easy to remember why I love this so much. I didn't get my camera out except to snap the hasty, underexposed picture you see at the top there. Sorry I didn't take a better picture, I didn't feel like getting up out of my seat. I'm tired.

I guess I'll take better pictures later. We might go out on the town tonight... Park City is a rad little town, hopefully I can get some cool shots. Thank you friend for following the Mak Travels.

Home.

2006-11-21T02:15:00.000-07:00

Carlsbad, California

So, where better to start the Mak Travels than where I'm from. Okay, so I'm not really from here. I wasn't born here, I didn't grow up here. I did, however, graduate from high school and have many of my firsts here: first Girlfriend, first kiss, first car, first guitar. Besides, my parents live here.

I don't get to come down here all that often. Usually just for the holidays. The San Diego area is really quite an amazing place. It's thanksgiving week and the ski season just started last weekend. It's been a solid six months since I went snowboarding, but I'm not sure if I should complain or not. For one, I really want to go snowboarding, but obviously I'm far from my home resort in Park City, Utah. On the other hand, however, it's 78 degrees and sunny in the middle of November and I was able to spend a day on the beach, not really a situation to draw many compliants.

It's usually a pretty quiet stay when I come back here, since I didn't grow up here I don't have a ton of friends around, so it gives me a chance to just relax from the rigors of student life and get out on my own a little. I was able to go out and shoot some photos today. It was nice.

The Jumping-Off Point

2006-11-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

It's a rather daunting prospect to have the world at your feet.

So, I’m 23, halfway through college, and no idea as to what my future holds. I realize that, right now, I could become anything that I choose to become. I can go anywhere I choose to go. It’s pretty scary. If I just had maybe one thing that I was good at, then I guess the decision would be easy, but I have various strengths in many areas, so I am forced to choose and hope dearly that I don’t blow it. The ride should be interesting to watch from the outside, hell to direct from the inside, and a whole lot of fun for both parties. So if you’re interested, follow me over the next few years, and let’s see where life takes me. Welcome to the jumping-off point of what we’ll call...

Makautomatik – The Mak Travels

Materials Included
- Me
- Laptop
- Camera
- 4Runner + Debt
- Imagination & Daring

Thanks for playing along, this should be fun.